We often find there is a lot of confusion between Lumens and Foot Candles and Lux. And even more confusing is how some represent conversion from traditional light sources like Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium in terms of watts, and not lumens. So why all the confusion. Well, it may be because those who represent this conversion are trying to avoid letting you know about the efficiency of the LED lights, so they claim you can replace X watts of Metal Halide with X watts of LED. What they should really say is that you can replace a 400W Metal Halide with X lumens, and their lights only need Y watts to produce these lumens. We’ll dive into this a little later, but lets first talk about lumens vs foot candles vs lux.

What is a lumen? A lumen is a measurement of light related to (1) fixture or bulb. So when we talk about lumens, we say that a fixture or bulb creates (X) lumens. These lumens are determined by sophisticated measurement equipment.

What is a foot candle? A foot candle is a unit of measurement at a specific location in a room or outdoor location that is created by 1 to many lights. It is a cumulative reading of 1 to many light sources at a specific location. It is both real and calculated. Real in the sense that you can take a light meter and walk to any location in a room or outdoor location and take a reading that represents the amount of light recorded from all contributing lights or fixtures. Calculated in the sense that you can use software to predict the foot candles of a space based on the placement of lights within the simulation.

What is lux? Lux is identical to foot candles. It is a measurement of real or calculated light, but it is done on a different scale. As a rough estimate, 1 foot candle = 10 lux.

So, simply stated, lights produces lumens, and the cumulative lumens of all lights are then determine the foot candle or lux measurement of light at a specific point in an indoor or outdoor space.

 

one of 11 retrofit kits designed to replace existing Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium lights in their existing fixtures. Multiple mounting options are included so you can use these lights in fixtures such as high bays, flood lights, area lights, shoe boxes, street lights or wall packs, to name a few. Installation is simple and easy and is no more difficult than a bulb and ballast replacement. Patent Pending Heat Sink technology allows this LED retro kit to run significantly cooler than other heat sink designs. Because of this, the head itself is warrantied for 10 years. Utilizing high efficiency Nichia LEDs, these kits produce an incredible amount of light while consuming very little power to do so. Compare these to the competition, you will save a lot of money on your utility bill using our Retrofit kits compared to the competitions.

LED Retrofits can be installed anywhere including

Dallas electricians like ElectricMan Inc. can help correct your existing electrical problems or provide assistance with installation.

There are ways to prevent electrical problems in a new home, and the electricians at ElectricMan can help, so consult someone knowledgeable before you begin your home improvement. What are some ways to prevent electric fires in your home?

There are over 53,000 electric fires in the U.S. each year, but these can easily be prevented with the help of a whole house surge protector. Surge protectors prevent the discharge of excess electricity due to lightening storms or blown circuits. If your home is prone to electrical surges, a whole house surge protector may be just what you need to prevent an electrical fire.

A GFCI outlet is a device which increases safety by reducing the risk of electric shocks. Most building codes now require that GFCI outlets be installed in wet areas like bathrooms, kitchens, garages, laundry rooms, and outdoor areas. GFCI outlets monitor for current imbalances and break the circuit if such an imbalance occurs. They are an important safety measure and should be installed whenever there is water and electricity.